de-felice



C. DE-F-ELICE.

GUN LOADING MECHANISM. APPLICATIOVN FILED DEC. 5. 1917.

1,304,274, Patented May-20,1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

I '0. DE-FEL ICE. GUN LOADING MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED DEC- 5. I9Il- 1,304,274. wEmma! May '20, 1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

, WIT/M8858:

W. BI" I, a 7KWQ W WHEY C. DE-FELICE.

GUN LOADING MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED DEC. a 19m Patented May 20, 1919.

S N m Mw w .ABWI/W 3 w a I 8 M m a a invention comprises certain novel construc- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CARLO DE FELICE, OF NEW YORK N. Y.

GUN-LOADING- MECHANISM.

Refile for (abandoned) application filed November 23, 1917, Serial No. 733,121.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 20, 1919.

Application filed December 5, 1917, Serial No. 205,515.

- ing is a full, clear,'and exact description,

- general appearance of my improved gun;

reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the specification. 1

This application is a refile for abandoned application Serial No. 733,121 filed Novem-- ber 23rd, 1912, allowed October-*6, 1915.

This invention relates to improvements in firearms or rifles and. particularly to auto-' matic firearms in which the recoil is utilized for expelling the used shell and for rechargin the arm. 1

e principal obj ect of this,invention is to provide an improved arrangement of rotatable cartridge magazine and devices for the delivery of cartridges from the same to the firing chamber, said devices being operated by the recoil of the gun.

A further object is to provide an improved mechanism operated by the recoil of the gun, for rotating the magazine as each shot is fired in order 'to bring a new storage chamber of the said magazine in correspondence with the gun firing chamber.

A- still further object is to provide an arrangement of a simple construction for efiiciently and automatically delivering cartridges to the firing chamber of a gun from a magazine mounted in the stock of said gun and capable of holding a great quantity of cartridges in a numberof longitudinal storage chambersprovided in the same.

With these and other objects in view, this tions and arrangements of'pa'rts as will be hereinafter fully described and set forth i the appended claims." g Y In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 isa side View in elevation illustrating the Fig. 2. is.a detail side. view in elevation partly broken-away, illustrating in detail the connection between the magazine and the firing chamber; Fig. 3 is a detail plan view of a portion of the surface of the rotating magazine; Fi 4 is a detail sectional view in elevation illustrating theinteriorof a d5 storage chamber of the magazine Fig. 5 is a detail side view in elevation of my gun partly broken away, illustrating the operating connections between the recoil operated plunger and the magazine revolving mechanism; Fig. 6 is a detail side view in elevation of the firing mechanism; Fig. 7 is a detail side view in elevation of my improved magazine, artly broken away to show the interior; Fig. 8 is a detail sectional view in elevation illustrating the outlet tube, conveying the cartridges from said magazine to the gun barrel; Fig. 9 is a front view in elevation of saidoutlet tube; Fig. 10 is a front view in elevation of the ma zine revolving mechanism; Fig. 11 is a detail side view in elevation of the device for transmitting the motion to the rotating magazine; Fig. 12

.is a rear View in elevation partly broken .and Fig. 17 is a detail view in perspective illustrating the rear part of the breech block.

The utilization of the force of recoil in devices of this kind for expelling the empty cartridges and for recharging the gun, 1s, broadly speaking, oldand has been applied in many different ways. -The force of recoil has also been utilized in connection with rotatable magazines for rotating the 'same as each shot is fired, but arrangements of I this kind have been devised only in connecmagazine capable of holding a considerable number of cartridges for producing va gun' (-f asimple construction capable of firing a great. number of shots in quick succession.

Referring to the drawings in which I illustrate my. arran ement as a plied to a rifle, 20 is the stock of the ri e in which is mounted a hollow magazine chamber 21';

- 22 is the gun barrel, 23 is the firing mechablock is moved backward, as is usual inautomatic recoil operated guns. Said rod 29 can be used for moving the breech block by hand and therefore also for operating the magazine revolving mechanism con nected to it as will be hereinafter described.

At one side of breech block 24 is provided a pin 31 inserted through a slot 32 of a rack 33. Said rack is mounted at one side of the box containing the firing mechanism and is in mesh within a pinion 34, which in its operation is in mesh with another rack 35 which will thus move in an opposite direction to rack 33; therefore when one shot is fired and the breech block is pushed backward by the force of the recoil,rack 35 will be moved forward.

The firing mechanism is provided with a tube'36 loading the cartridges coming from the magazine to the firing chamber. Magazine chamber 21 has a circular section as shown in Fig. 12 and is provided in its upper part with two plates 37 between which is guided ejector 38; said ejector is provided with a number of. equi-distant prongs or teeth 39 the distance between two successive prongs being efficient to accommodate the length of a cartridge. The same is also provided with a projection 40 on which is inserted a tube 42 connected at the opposite end to a part 43 provided with a cam-slot 44.

Said magazine chamber is provided at its forward end with a wall 45, provided with an opening 46 at the upper part of a diameter sufficient for the passage of the outlet tube for the cartridges. At the rear end of said magazine chamber is provided a bottom 47, and within said magazine chamber is revolu-bly mounted a .magazine drum 48, fixed on a shaft 49. Said shaft 49 projects through and out of the wall 45, and

on its'outer projection is fixed a Wheel 50,

having a ratchet 51 and a cam-portion 52 provided with a number of cam-slots 53, circumferentially arranged on the outer face of said part 50.

Said magazine drum is formed with a number of longitudinal cartridge storage chambers 54, .arranged. along its periphery;

said chambers being of a diameterv sufiicient to accommodate the cartridges used and communicating with the outside face of the drum by means of longitudinal slots 55. The upper storage chamber 54 is normally registering with opening 46 in wall 45 and through its related slot 55, ejector 38 is inserted and operating.

The length of the magazine is such that each storage chamber can accommodate a number of cartridges end to end, as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4; each storage chamber is provided with a number of springs 56,

allowing the motion of the cartridges for-.

ward but preventing their -motion in the op osite direction.-

ommunication betweentube 36-and the upper storage chamber is established by means of an outlet tube'j57, inserted through the front end 58 of the magazine chamber: and through opening 46, said outlet tube extends into the rear end of tube 36, which is connected to part 58 by means of dowel pins 59, 60 or in anyother convenient man-. ner. Said outlet tube 57 is also provided, as shown, with a spring 61, permitting the motion of the cartridges forward, 'but preventing free motion in the oppositedi'rection.

' Rod 41 is connected to tube 42 by means of a tension spring 62, located within said tube;

zine 48 is rotated one step, said movement,

being controlled by a lever 64, pivoted in 65 to a connection 66,; said lever is provided with a pin 67, adapted to project Within cam-slots 53 and to operate against the sides of the same. Spring 69 will cause lever 64 to swing outwardly, that is to the right looking at the drawing, Fig. 10, when pin 67 is disengaged from cam-slots 53. This disengagement of pin 67 takes place when connection 66 is moved toward shaft 49. Upon said inward radial motion of connection 66 taking place, pin 67 comes out of the cam slot 53 into which the same was previously projecting, spring 69 will cause lever 64 to swing outwardly, and pin 67 will then be ready to engage the next cam slot 53 to right. The downward motion of connection 66 takes place when part 43 is moved forward, and when said part 43 returns to its normal position through the action of the spring within part 30 which controls the motion of rack 35, connection 66 will be moved outwardly ,and will cause magazine 48 to rotate one step, as will be hereinafter explained.

By observing the shape of cam-slots 53, it can be seen that while the right side of the same is in a radial direction, the left side is inclined in such a manner that a pressure exerted against its surface by a part moving in a radial direction will rot-ate the cylinder toward the left. Connection 66 is provided with a vertical elongated slot 70, accommodating shaft 49 and permitting the up and down motion of said connection 66. The upper part 71 o-fsaid connection projects above front part 58 and is bent to one side to clear outlet tube 57; said upper part 70 is provided with a pin 72 projecting through slot 44 of part 43, and which in the position I downward will cause the downward motion of connection 66, freeing projection 67 from the cam slot 53 to which the same was engaged. As soon as said cam slot 53 has been entirely cleared by pin 67, spring 69 will swing lever 64 outward and therefore pin 67 will be ready to engage the next cam slot 53.

The upward motion of lever 64 is limited by a roller 64, abutting against'its side, which will cause the same to assume its normal position when connection 66 will again move outward.

As soon as the empty shell of the cartridge which has been fired has moved back sufiiciently to clear the firing chamber and to be expelled at one side in any convenient manner, a new cartridge can be inserted in said firing chamber from the forward end of tube 36. To insure the unloading and reloading of the gun in a proper manner, the difi'erent parts constituting the firing mechanism are formed and related in a special way. The

'forward end of tube 36 is cut in an inclined direction in relation to its axis, so as to remain parallel to the motion. of the breech block and abutting against the same. At the upper part-of said tube 36 is provided a catch 73 pivoted in 74, and a spring 74 tends to hold the same away from inside of tube 36.

When hammer 26 is in its forward position, however, it will force said catch 73 down; thebackward motion of breech block 24 forcing back hammer.26, will temporarily .ated by spring 77, tending to move the same forward in a longitudinal direction. Said plunger 76 is provided with a spring 78, projecting in the inside of tube 36and' allowing the forward motion of the cartridges but preventing their return motion,,the action of said spring 78' being substantially similar to that of springs 56, illustrated in Fig. 4. j

When hammer 26 is in its cocked position, as shown in Fig. 2, plunger 76 is forced backward against the action of spring 77..

The operation of the device can now be easily understood as follows:

When breech block 24 is operated backward by the action of the recoil, the same pushes backward hammer 26; as soon as the empty shell has been ejected, catch 73 is allowed to move outward, thus permitting the motion of the cartridges within tube 36; plunger 76 which is still free to move, hammer 26 still being on its way to its cocked position, actuated by spring 77 will then push the two cartridges which are in front of spring 7 8, forward, the first cartridge entering the firing chamber. As soon as the rear part of said first cartridge has cleared catch 73, and as the backward motion of breech block 24 progresses, said catch 73, is again forced down thus preventing the motion of'the remaining cartridges beyond its projecting end. In the meantime, rack 35 has been moved forward, pulling forward part 43 against the action of spring 62; as soon as the first cartridge in tube 36 is allowed to enter the firing chamber, said spring 62 will pull rod 41 and therefore ejector 38 forward, thus causing all the cartridges engaged by projections 39 to progress one step forward.

The forward motion of part 43 has caused the downward motion of connection 66 so as to clear and loosen the cam slot 53 previously engaged by pin 67. Slot 44 has a horizontal free said catch, permitting the same to move clear of the inside of tube 36, said breech block being grooved at 73' to allow the outward motion of said catch; after a certain portion of the backward stroke of said breech however, when groove B ends said catch will again be forced down through the action of the inclined surface 73" at the end of groove 73. When said catch is forced down it will abut against the cylindrical portion of the cartridge underneath, and will prevent the forward motion of the same, be cause the rear part of the shell having an enlarged diameter, it will not be possible for this to go past said catch. At one side of tu e 36 is also provided a plunger 76, actuportion 79 and ejector 38 has four projections 80, two on each side. The sides or guides 37 between which said ejector 38 has moved, are each provided with two projec-- ting surfaces 81.

When the breech block has ended its backward stroke thereby cocking hammer 26, the spring wlthin part 30 which has been compressed by the same will begin to act, returning breech block 24 to its former position ready for firing. Through rack 33 and pinion 34, rack 35v is therefore moved backward, causing the backward motion of part 43 and of the ejector 38 connected to the same. The rear edge of projections 39 is inclined so that the same' abut-ting against the cartridges in the storage chamber, which are prevented from getting back by springs 56. will lift ejector 38 until thebackward motion of part 43 continuing, projections 80 will rest on projections 81, and the back- 30 4 emptied of all cartridges; it is obvious that the rotatory motion ofahe magazine can be obtained in many ways through the. appli-- ward motion of ejector 38 will be made in a-raised position in which projections 39 are entirely clear of rotating magazine '48, and

therefore allow the rotation of the same, When ejector 38 is stillinits raised position, the'inclined part of slot 44 begins to acton pin 72,1ifting connection 66 andthere- 1 fore lever 64, connected to the same; the'action of pin 67 against the left side of the new cam slot 53 now engaged, will cause the rotation of magazine 48. When this movement has started, projections 80 can clear projections 81, projections 39 resting on the surface ofthe magazine. As the backward I motion of part 43 continues, slot 44 continues to lift connection- 66 until the one stepmotion of the magazineis complete andejector 38 is free to fall through the slot 55 of the new storage chamber registering with outlet tube 57. The'gun is now againready for firing, and as the new shot is'fired, the cycle of operations just described is repeated.

It is thus seen that as each shot is fired,

all the cartridges contained in the "storage chamber, are' moved one. step forward, the first cartridge in tube" 36., being pushed into I the firing chamber; the magazine is then rotated and the cartridges in the next storage chamber will then be moved one step forward and so on until the magazinehasbeen cation of different mechanical means within the reach of an ordinary mechanic; the device shown and described being intended v mostly for a certain example.-

'To load the magazine, the rear part of the same 47, is provided with an opening with wh ch all the storage chambers register in succession as the magazine is rotated, said openmg is closed by a plug 82 attached to a lever 83, plvoted in 84 to the rear part 47,

and this moved away from the openmg for loading the magazine. When one storage chamber has been loaded through said opening, the step motion ofthe magazine can be caused by hand by pushing. rod 29 and. therefore breech block, 24 backward, thus causlng the entire cycle of movement to take place;

The sprocket portion 51 of part 50 is engaged by a'pawl s5 'p-iyoted in' 86150 wall into the'slot 55 of the storagechamber 'un-. 'derneath, a spring 87 is provided pre'ssing From the foregoing itcan be seen that 45 and preventing the return motion of said part 50' and ,thereforeof the rotating maga- -'-'zme. v I I Y Tofacilitate the dropping of ejector 38 down rod 41.

'- I provide a device simple. in construction and positive in its operation easily assembled and taken. apart; one of the advantages of .my nnproved rotating magazine Is that all thespa'ce available is used for the cartridges,- no space being given to springs or to other devices for controlling the motion of the' same. It is obvious that the form and construction of the difl'erentparts need not be exactly as shown in the drawings, provided their relative functions remain the same; and while it is seen in the drawings'that e ector 38 operates through the outside wall of the rotating magazine, it is clear that the mere changing of said ejector to some other position, would not constitute a departure from the spirit of my invention. I r

Various other changes can be made in the specific details of construction of my machine without departing from my fundamentalidea and I reserve to myself the right to bring to the same all those changes and ber, a recoil operated member, an element controlledby said recoil operated member,

- and an elastic connection between said element and said'feedin'g member. 9

2. In a device of theclass described, the

combination of a firing mechanism, 'a firing chamber, a rotatable magazine comprising a plurality of longitudinal cartridge storage chambers,zmeans for imparting a step by 1 step rotation to said magazine, a cartridge feeding member operating through one of.

the said chambers and moving all the cartridges within the sameone step forward during its forward movement, and means for moving said feeding member outward so as to clear said magazine after the forward motion of said cartridge has been accomplished; for the purposes as set forth.

3. In a device of the class described, the

combination of a firing mechanism, a firing I chamber, a rotatable magazine comprising a plurality of longitudinalcartridge storage chambers, means for imparting a step by step rotation to said magazine, a cartridge feeding member operating through one of the said chambers and moving all the car-' tridges within the sameone step forward during 0 its forward movement, 7 means for controllingv the motion of said cartridge feeding member, and meansfor moving '0 e same outward soas .to clear the magazine during its return movement; for the pur pose as set forth. Q;

4. -In a device of the class described, the

combination of, a firing mechanism, firing.

chamber, a rotary magazine comprising a' pluralityof longitudinal. cartridge storage chambers; a cartridge feeding member, a 11- ad coil operative member, a step by step rotat-' lng mechanism for sald magazme, means a plurality of longitudinal cartridge storage chambers, a step by step rotating mechanism for the same, an outlet tube for said magazine leading to said firing chamber, a rack-shaped feeding member, a recoil operated breech block, an element controlling the operation of said step by step mechanism, means for transmitting motion from said breech block to said element, and an elastic connection between said element and said feeding member.

6. Ina device of the class described, the combination of a longitudinal cartridge storage chamber, a firing chamber, a tube leadingv from said storage chamber to said firing chamber, means for feeding cartridges to said tube, a breech block, a hammer, a catch engaging the outer cartridge within said tube preventing its forward motion, means for disengaging said catch as soon as an empty shell has been expelled from said firing chamber during the backward motion of saidbreech block, means exerting a pressure on said cartridge to feed the same to said firing chamber, means for subsequently returning said catch to its position of engagement with the next cartridge, and

- means for returning said breech block to its former position.

7. In a device of the class described, the combination of a firing chamber, a cartridge feed tube leading thereto, a longitudinal cartridge storage chamber, a breech block, a

' hammer, a feeding member operated by said breech block, a catch normally retaining the cartridges within said tube against forward motion, and freeingthe same when an empty shell is discharged from said firing chamber during the backward motion of said breech block, and yielding means exerting a pressure against said cartridges tending to force them toward said firing chamber.

8. In a device of the class described, the combination of a firing chamber, a breech block, a hammer, a longitudinal cartridge .storage chamber, a tube leading from the same to said firing chamber, a member feeding the cartridges from said, storage cham- 1 ber to said tube, a longitudinally movable element controlled by said breech block, means transmitting the motion of said breech block to said element, in a reverse direction, an elastic connection between said element and said feeding member, a catch normally retaining the cartridges within said tube against forward motion, and freeing the same when an empty shell is discharged from said firing chamber during the backward motion of said breech block, and yielding means exerting a pressure against said cartridges tending to force them toward said firing chamber.

9. In a device of the class described, the

combination of a firing chamber, a recoil operated breech block, a hammer, a longitudinal cartridge storage chamber, a; member feeding the cartridges from said storage chamber to said tube, a longitudinally movable element controlled by said breech block, means transmitting the motion of said breech block, to said element and said feeding member, a catch normally retaining the cartridges within said tube against forward motion, and freeing the same when an empty shell is discharged from said firing chamber during the backward motion of said breech block, yielding means exerting a pressure against said cartridges tending to force the same toward said firing chamber, and means for returning said breech block to its normal position.

10. In a device of the class described, the combination of a firing mechanism, a breech block, a rotatable cartridge magazine, a part integral therewith provided with cam-acting notches or indentations along its periphcry, a cam-acting radially movable member engaging said notches or indentations causing a step by step rotation of said magazine,

and means controlled by said breech block combination of a firing mechanism, a breechv block, a rotatable cartridge magazine comprising a plurality of longitudinal cartridge storage chambers each adapted to contain a number of cartridges in an end to end succession, a longitudinally movable feeding member, a part integral with said magazine provided with notches or indentations along a circumference, a member movable in rela-- tion to the same for successively engaging with said notches or indentations to produce a step by step rotation of said magazine, a longitudinally movable cam acting element controlling the motion of the same, an elastic connection between said element and said feeding member, and means for transmitting motlon from said breech block to said element; for the purposes as set forth.

12. In a device of the class described, the combination of a firing mechanism, a recoil operated breech block, a rotatable cartridge magazine comprising a plurality of longitudinal cartridge storage chambers each adapted to contain a number of cartridges in an end' to end succession, a longitudinally movable feeding member, a part integral with said magazine provided with notches or indentations along a circumference, a

member movable in relation to the'same successively engaging with said notches or indentations to produce a step by step rotation of said magazine, a longitudinally movable cam-acting element controlling the motion of the same, an elastic connection between said element and said feeding member, means for transmitting motion from said breech block to said element in a reverse direction,

' to its normal and means for returning said breech block gaging the outer cartridg within said tube preventing its forward motion, means for disengaging said catch as soon as an empty shell hasbeen discharged from said firing chamber durin the backward motion of said breech bloc means exerting a pressure on said cartridge to feed-the same to said firin chamber, means for subsequently returning said catch to its position of engagement with the next cartridge, a step by step mechanism for imparting a partial rotation to said magazine as each shot is fired, a 1on-' gitudinally movable element controlling said step by step mechanism, an elastic connection between said element andsaid feeding member, and means for transmitting mo- J tion from said breech block tozrsaid element;

for the purpose as set forth;

141- In a device of the classdescribed, the combination of a firing mechanism, a firing chamber, a recoil operated breech block, a rotatable magazine comprising a plurallty of longitudinal cartridge storage chambers each adapted to contain anumber of cartridges in an end to end succession, an out- 4 let tube preventing the backward motion of the cartridges therein contained, aihaminer,

said firing a catch normally retainin the cartridges within. said tube against orward motlon,

' and freeing the same when an empty shell is discharged from said firing chamber, during the backward motion'of said breech block, yielding means exerting a pressure against said'cartridges tending to force them toward able reciprocating rack-shaped feeding member operating within .the storage champosition; for the purposes as,

chamber, a longitudinally movable,

chamber, a longitudinally mov-- ber registering with said outlet tub e and pushing forward through one step all the cartridges therein contained during its for-.

ward motion, said feeding member clearing said magazine during its return-motion, a. step by step mechanism imparting a partial rotation to said magazine as each shot is fired, and during the,return motion ofsaid feeding member, a longitudinally movable element controlling said-step by step mechanism, an elastic connection between said element and said feeding member, means for transmitting motion from said breech block 1 to said element in areverse' direction, and

means for returning said breech block to its 15. Ina device of theclass described, the

normal position.

combination of a firing mechanism, a firing chamber, a recoil operated breech block, ,a

rotatable magazine comprising-a plurality of longitudinal cartridge storage chambers, each adapted to contain a numberof. car

tridges from said chambers to said firing I chamber, means within said chambers and outlet tube preventing the backward motion it of "the cartridges therein contained, a hamsis mer, a catch normally retaining the car-- tridges within said tube against forward motion, and freeing the same when an empty shell is discharged from said firing chamber during block, yielding means exerting I a pressure against said cartridges tendi the-backward motion of said breech to force them toward said firing chamber, a ongitudinally I -movable reciprocating rack is'haped feeding member operating within the storage chamber registering with said outlet tube and pushing forward through one step all the its. fbrcartridges therein contained during ward motion, a part integral with said magazine provided with notches orindentations' arranged along a circumference, a

member movable in relation-thereto successively engaging with said 'notches, or indentations to produce a step by, step rotation of said magazine, a longitudinally movable cam-acting element controlling the 1110- tion of the same, an elastic connection be tween said element and said feeding mem-V ber, means. for transmitting motion from I said breech blockto said cam-acting element in a reverse direction, and means for returnin said breech block to its'normal position; substantially as described, and for the purposes as set forth.

Witnesses;

CHAS. V-OARTAGNINO, ITALO A. FUGAzr.

= cannons-ra ion; 

